742 
BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OP FISHERIES 
FISHING SEASONS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS 
PUGET SOUND 
Purse seining on Puget Sound usually begins in the early summer in the 
region of the San Juan Islands, the greater number of vessels fishing on or near the 
Salmon Banks (see fig. 2). As the season progresses the vessels work farther inside 
to Rosario Strait, Lummi Island, and Point Roberts, and, especially in years when 
pink salmon are abundant, in Haro Strait. In even years there is a slack period 
between the summer and fall seasons in winch little fishing is done. In the odd years 
the pink-salmon run extends to the late summer closed period (see table 8). 
Fall fishing begins shortly after this slack period. In odd-numbered years some 
vessels may remain in the northern districts for the last of the pink-salmon run, but 
the remainder of the fleet will shift to the eastern part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca 
from Ediz Hook to Middle Point, and the southern shores of the San Juan Islands. 
A short time later most of the vessels will move to Admiralty Inlet. Much of the late 
fall fishing is in the inlets and passages of lower Puget Sound. In even years the fall 
fishery is similar, except that such vessels as fish during the slack period between the 
summer and fall fisheries usually operate in the lower part of the strait at an earlier 
date. 
Seining is carried on by Canadian vessels along the eastern shore of Vancouver 
Island and in seining areas 17-20 (see fig. 2), except that the portion of area 17 which 
is adjacent to the mouth of the Fraser River has, until recent years, been open to 
fishing only during the time of the pink and chum runs. 
The intensity of the seine fishery during different parts of the season is dependent 
largely upon the abundance of fish. However, the number of fish caught does not 
truly represent the effort expended by the fleet for fishing intensity may be very high, 
even though only moderate catches are made. The best measure of effort which may 
be determined from present records is the average number of deliveries made in a 
uniform period of time. During the greater part of the season buyers pick up fish at 
fairly regular intervals, and the number of deliveries made to them should closely 
approximate the intensity of the fishery. 
The number of deliveries in each week of odd- and even-numbered years from 
1916-34, except 1920 and 1930, were calculated as percentages of the total number 
of deliveries made in each year. The year 1930 was omitted because of unusual 
differences in the time when the run of certain species occurred, and because of the 
curtailment of fishing in certain areas by administrative orders; 1920 was omitted 
because of inadequate data. The average percentage of the season’s deliveries, of 
the Puget Sound fleet, made in each week for both odd and even years were then 
determined, and are shown in the first two columns of table 19. 
